Project Information
A few years ago, I experimented with tiling the top of our counter top. I used travertine, (which is a form of limestone), due to its resemblance to marble at a cost far less. Unfortunately, travertine is relatively soft and after a few years started to become pitted around the sink area. I decided to try using Glaze Coat by Famowood to seal the tile and give it a shiny bar top appearance. I am very pleased with the results. It completely sealed the tile with about 1/16" of epoxy and filled all the pits. The tile looks brand new again.
I trimmed out the tile edges with cedar. I decided to use cedar due to its natural resistance to water and insects, (I live in Florida and that is always a continuing battle), and the fact that I had a bunch of it in the shop. My only concern was that cedar is very soft and I did not know how well it would hold up to kitchen abuse.
The solution was to use General Finishes PolyAcrylic
. This is an absolutely amazing product. It is water based, has very little to no odor and dries extremely fast. It is the easiest finish I have ever applied and it added the much needed hardness and durability to the soft cedar. I applied 5 coats for maximum protection and depth of appearance. It looks fantastic!
To make the trim I used a round over bit on the router table to round the top and bottom edges. I then cut a rabbet on the table saw to form a lip that covers the edge of the tile. The top of the lip above the counter and formed the perfect frame for the Glaze Coat pour.
I made the back-splash from a darker cedar and experimented with coating it with the Glaze Coat. Although it formed a barrier that will be impervious to water, I would use the PolyAcrylic in the future. The Glaze Coat added too much thickness and gave the back-splash a "plastic" appearance.
If you are wondering about the faucet "mount"...the water in Florida is very aggressive and it ate away the metal plate that came with the faucet. It only took about 2 years to all but dissolve the plate. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I made a mount from the same cedar I used for the back-splash. My wife loves it and that works for me.
I just need to do some touch up paint and I'm done with the top.
I trimmed out the tile edges with cedar. I decided to use cedar due to its natural resistance to water and insects, (I live in Florida and that is always a continuing battle), and the fact that I had a bunch of it in the shop. My only concern was that cedar is very soft and I did not know how well it would hold up to kitchen abuse.
The solution was to use General Finishes PolyAcrylic
. This is an absolutely amazing product. It is water based, has very little to no odor and dries extremely fast. It is the easiest finish I have ever applied and it added the much needed hardness and durability to the soft cedar. I applied 5 coats for maximum protection and depth of appearance. It looks fantastic!
To make the trim I used a round over bit on the router table to round the top and bottom edges. I then cut a rabbet on the table saw to form a lip that covers the edge of the tile. The top of the lip above the counter and formed the perfect frame for the Glaze Coat pour.
I made the back-splash from a darker cedar and experimented with coating it with the Glaze Coat. Although it formed a barrier that will be impervious to water, I would use the PolyAcrylic in the future. The Glaze Coat added too much thickness and gave the back-splash a "plastic" appearance.
If you are wondering about the faucet "mount"...the water in Florida is very aggressive and it ate away the metal plate that came with the faucet. It only took about 2 years to all but dissolve the plate. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I made a mount from the same cedar I used for the back-splash. My wife loves it and that works for me.
I just need to do some touch up paint and I'm done with the top.